Why the Zulu shield is a design miracle...

The Zulu shield (Zulu: ihawu) is a common shield design on the east coast of Africa. This shield design is found on the Kenyan flag, Zulu flag, Kenyan coat of arms, Zulu coat of arms, Swazi flag, Swazi coat of arms, Ciskei coat of arms, & is similar to the one used by Ndebele, Ngoni & Shubi tribes. 

It is said that the shield used to be smaller in size than it's modern version. It was increased in size by King Shaka, the legendary Zulu king in the early 19th century. 

 

This shield is made of hardened cow hide & is a better design than the Roman shield in that it is lighter allowing a warrior to travel further & is easier to move in combat allowing swiftness in defence during combat. The shield could've also been used by warriors to protect themselves against the elements. The shield, however, is not ideal in modern combat where there is use of firearms but it's legacy remains as it was one of the main pieces of weaponry used to form one of Africa's greatest kingdoms.